How aspirin was discovered - Krishna Sudhir

譯者: Sherl H 審譯者: Marssi Draw

4,000 years ago, the ancient Sumerians made a surprising discovery.

4000 年前，古老的蘇美人 有了一項驚人的發現

If they scraped the bark off a particular kind of tree

如果他們削下某種樹的樹皮

and ate it,

並吃下去

their pain disappeared.

他們的疼痛就會消失

Little did they know that why they'd found

他們不知道自己所發現的

was destined to influence the future course of medicine.

注定影響了未來醫學的發展歷程

What the Sumerians had discovered was a precursor to the medicine known today

蘇美人發現的是現今所知的藥物

as aspirin.

阿斯匹林的前身

阿斯匹林的有效成分常可以在柳樹

Aspirin's active ingredient is found commonly in willow trees

and other wild plants,

和其他野生植物中發現

which is how it came to infuse the medical traditions

這就是它如何注入

of Sumer,

蘇美

ancient Egypt,

古埃及

ancient Greece,

古希臘

and other cultures.

和其他文明的醫療傳統

Around 400 BC, Hippocrates, thought of as the father of modern medicine,

西元前 400 年左右 被認為是現代醫學之父的希波克拉底

first recommended chewing willow bark for pain relief

首先提倡以嚼食柳樹皮來緩解疼痛

and making willow leaf tea to ease the pain of childbirth.

以及泡柳葉茶來減輕生產的疼痛

But it took over 2,000 years for us to comprehensively investigate its potential.

但我們卻花了超過 2000 年 來全面調查它的潛力

In the mid-18th century,

在 18 世紀中期

an Englishman named Edward Stone ran five years of experiments,

一位名叫艾德華．史東的英國人 做了五年的實驗

showing that willow bark crushed into a powder and eaten

證明吃下磨成粉的柳樹皮

could cure a fever.

可以治癒發燒

It took nearly another 70 years for a German pharmacist, Johann Buchner,

又過了將近 70 年 一位名叫約翰．畢希納的德國藥師

to finally identify and purify the substance that made all this possible,

才終於鑑定並純化出 使這一切成為可能的物質

a compound called salicin.

一種名叫水楊苷的化合物

By then, doctors were routinely using willow bark

在這之前，醫師常用柳樹皮

and other salicin-rich plants, like the herb meadowsweet,

和其他富含水楊苷的植物 像是藥草繡線菊

to ease pain, fever, and inflammation.

來緩解疼痛、發燒和發炎

But identifying the exact compound suddenly opened up the possibility

但是鑑定出確切的化合物 突然為劑型的調整

of manipulating its form.

開啟了可能性

In 1853, a French chemist managed to chemically synthesize the compound,

1853 年，一位法國化學家設法 以化學方法合成這個化合物

creating a substance called acetylsalicylic acid.

製造出一種叫做乙醯柳酸的物質

接著在 1897 年 拜耳藥廠發現了一個新做法

Then in 1897, the pharmaceutical company Bayer found a new method

and began marketing the compound as a pain reliever called aspirin.

並開始將這個化合物 作為止痛藥阿斯匹靈銷售

This was widely recognized as one of the first synthetic pharmaceutical drugs.

這被公認為是最早的合成藥物之一

原本阿斯匹靈只是拜耳的商品名

Originally, aspirin was just Bayer's brand name:

A for acetyl,

A 代表乙醯

and spir for meadowsweet,

spir 代表繡線菊

whose botanical name is Spiraea ulmaria.

它的植物學名是 Spiraea ulmaria

Soon, aspirin became synonymous with acetylsalicylic acid.

很快地，阿斯匹靈成為 乙醯柳酸的同義詞

As its influence grew, aspirin was found to ease not just pain,

隨著它的影響力漸長 阿斯匹靈也被發現不只能止痛

but also many inflammation-related problems,

也能緩解許多發炎相關的病症

like rheumatoid arthritis,

像是類風溼性關節炎

pericarditis, which enflames the fluid-filled sack around the heart,

心包膜炎──使心臟周圍 充滿液體的囊袋發炎的疾病

and Kawasaki disease,

還有川崎病

where blood vessels become inflamed.

──使血管發炎的疾病

Yet, despite aspirin's medical value,

然而，儘管阿斯匹靈有如此醫療價值

at this point, scientists still didn't actually know how it worked.

在當時，科學家其實 還不知道它的作用原理

In the 1960s and 70s, Swedish and British scientists changed that.

在 1960 和 70 年代 瑞典和英國科學家改變了這個情況

They showed that the drug interrupts the production of certain chemicals

他們證明了這個藥物會阻礙某種

called prostaglandins,

叫前列腺素的化學物質產生

which control the transmission of pain sensations and inflammation.

前列腺素控制 痛覺和發炎的訊號傳遞

In 1982, that discovery won the researchers a Nobel Prize in Medicine.

1982 年，這項發現為研究者 贏得了諾貝爾醫學獎

Over time, research has also uncovered aspirin's risks.

隨著時間過去 研究者也發掘了阿斯匹靈的風險

Overconsumption can cause bleeding in the intestines and the brain.

過量服用可能導致腸子和腦部出血

It can also trigger Reye's Syndrome,

也可能引發雷氏症候群

a rare but often fatal illness that affects the brain and liver

這種罕見但經常致命的疾病

會影響受感染兒童的腦部和肝臟

in children with an infection.

And in the late 20th century,

而在 20 世紀晚期

aspirin's success had been overshadowed by newer pain killers

更新的止痛藥已經使 阿斯匹靈的成功黯然失色

with fewer side effects,

新藥有較少的副作用

like acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

像是乙醯胺酚和布洛芬

But in the 1980s, further discoveries about aspirin's benefits

但是在 1980 年代 關於阿斯匹靈益處的進一步研究

revived interest in it.

讓人們對它重燃起興趣

In fact, the 1982 Nobel Prize winners also demonstrated

事實上，1982 年的 諾貝爾獎得主也證明了

that aspirin slows production of thromboxanes,

阿斯匹靈減緩血栓素的生成

chemicals that cause clumping of platelets,

那是一種造成血小板凝集

which in turn form blood clots.

進而形成血塊的化學物質

A landmark clinical trial showed that aspirin reduced heart attack risk by 44%

一個劃時代的臨床試驗顯示 阿斯匹靈使服藥的受試者

in participants who took the drug.

心臟病發的風險降低了 44%

Today, we prescribe it to people at risk of heart attack or stroke

現今，我們開這個藥 給可能心臟病發作或中風的人

because it cuts the likelihood of clots forming in the arteries

因為它減少了 供應心臟和腦部的動脈中

that supply the heart and brain.

形成血塊的可能性

Even more intriguingly,

更有趣的是

there's a growing body of research that suggests

有越來越多研究提出

aspirin reduces the risk of getting and dying from cancer,

阿斯匹靈降低 罹患和死於癌症的風險

especially colorectal cancer.

尤其是結直腸癌

This might be due to aspirin's anti-platelet effects.

這可能是由於 阿斯匹靈的抗血小板作用

By reducing platelet activity, aspirin may decrease the levels of a certain protein

藉著降低血小板活性 阿斯匹靈可能減少

某種幫助癌細胞擴散的蛋白質含量

that helps cancer cells spread.

These discoveries have transformed aspirin from a mere pain reliever

這些發現已經將阿斯匹靈 從只是一種止痛藥

to a potentially life-saving treatment.

轉變成具有救命潛力的治療藥物

Today, we consume about 100 billion aspirin tablets each year,

現今，我們每年消耗 約一千億錠阿斯匹靈

and researchers continue searching for new applications.

而研究者正繼續尋找新的用處

Already, aspirin's versatility has transformed modern medicine,

阿斯匹靈的多功能性 已經改變了現代醫學

which is astounding considering its humble beginnings

這令人驚訝 尤其是想到它卑微的起源

in a scraping of willow bark.

是從削柳樹皮開始